William Smith. Smith started in the 1940s as a child actor. THE COLD WIRE IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF COLD WIRE MEDIA. Throughout his career, Smith was known for persevering in a cutthroat industry. In excellent shape and healthy living. MovieWeb even states that Smith appeared in almost every TV series of the 1970s and 1980s, like"The Dukes of Hazzard" and "The A Team.". He was 54. Reports: Chick Vennera, 'Golden Girls' and 'Thank God It's Friday' actor, dies at 74. The cause of his death has not been disclosed. More recently, Smith appeared as a regular on thelast season of the original Hawaii Five-0 from1979 to 1980 and in the Western series Wildside in 1985. She did not disclose his cause of death. pic.twitter.com/tMc8fKJBa5, Phoef Sutton (@phoefsutton) July 10, 2021. At the time of his death, the culmination of William Smith's earnings as an actor and his many other ventures led to a net worth of around $7 million, according to Famous People Net Worth. He was reportedly also fluent in French, German and Serbo-Croatian.[3]. Commemorative remembrance: 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Black Pot Beach, Hanalei. eventAction: 'view' Mountain Climber Movie Actor Movie Actress Music Producer Non-fiction Author Novelist We are one of the worlds fastest growing He started his career way back in the 40's and is still going strong. William Smith, the iconic tough-guy actor in Hawaii Five-O and Laredo, died Monday at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills. In 1985, Smith landed the starring role of Brodie Hollister in the short-lived Disney Western series Wildside, created by writer-producer Tom Greene, and another role as the bookmaker Dutchman's strongarm enforcer known simply as "Panama Hat", in director Richard Brooks's final movie, Fever Pitch (1985) opposite Ryan O'Neal. He would later become an elite discus thrower at UCLA, a martial arts black belt and a champion arm-wrestler. }); Hurt won the best actor Oscar in 1986 for playing . The coroner said Smith's death "has At the time, Smith was just 8 years old (via Deadline). He was also a bodybuilder, discus thrower, an arm-wrestling champion, and served as a volunteer firefighter in California. He also played Anthony Falconetti, the menacing nemesis of the central family in the 1976 ABC miniseries "Rich Man, Poor Man," and returned for its sequel. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. let gads_event; Heflew on secretmissions over the Soviet Unionand Eastern Bloc countries, according to a statement shared by his wife. He came from a prominent theatrical family as his mother had been a popular stage actress as well as a model while his father was a theater ticket broker. William Smith Obituary: In the loving memory of William Smith, we are saddened to inform you that William Smith, a beloved and loyal friend, has passed away. The actor was famously known for his stint as Falconetti in 1976s 'Rich Man, Poor Man'. The sources said officers responded to Williams' home at approximately 2 p.m. local time and found him dead in his living room. Tom Smith 49: Rugby Player: 45 1: Terry Jones 78: Monty Python: 46 1 . Smith was best known for his portrayal of Falconetti in the groundbreaking 1976 miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man. The actor also fought in two of the most memorable brawls in cinematic history, going up against Clint Eastwood in 1980s Any Which Way You Can and Rod Taylor in 1970s Darker Than Amber.. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { USE OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OUR TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY. 2023 COLD WIRE MEDIA. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. The actor took his last breath at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills on Monday, July 5, according to his wife Joanne Cervelli Smith. William Smith is just that. Over the next thirty years, Smith became one of the kings of B-movie and television villainy.Smith died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles in 2021, aged 88. The 88 year olds cause of death is unknown; he died at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. William Emmett Smith (March 24, 1933 July 5, 2021) was an American actor. pg.acq.push(function() { She also penned onFacebook, "My heart hurts so badly.". His son Alexander Hurt announced the death in a statement but did not give a cause. In addition to his acting career, Smith enlisted in the Air Force during the Korean War in 1951 and was recruited by the National Security Agency due to his fluency in multiple languages. Police did not provide any additional information about his death. William Smith, an actor known for his portrayals of villains and his onscreen movie brawls, died on July 5 in Woodland Hills, Calif. Smith's wife, Joanne Cervelli Smith, said he died at the Motion Picture and Television Fund's Country House and Hospital. William Smith was one of the best, underrated actors in the business. John Smith, who starred in the television westerns "Laramie" and "Cimarron City," died on Jan. 25 at his home here. & Company, Chrome and Hot Leather, Gentle Savage andEye of the Tiger., He played Texas Ranger Joe Riley in TVs Laredo from 1965 to 1967, and later joined the original cast of Hawaii Five-O for its last season in 1980. He always brought light to every room entered. Ten years later, he made movie history again when he squared off against Eastwood in Any Which Way You Can. It has to be one of the longest two-man fights ever done on film without doubles, Smith said about the notorious scene. 1:14. How did William Smith die? Back in his heyday, the bodybuilder was a champion discus thrower at UCLA, an arm-wrestling and boxing champion and a martial arts black belt. There was a problem getting your location. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Smith had three broken ribs, and Taylor had a broken nose. "And so the fight was on. Loved his performances as Joe Riley in the TV series #Laredo ('65-'67), & in particular in the season 2 episode, 'The Bitter Yen of General Ti,' with Irene Tsu. Pigott-Smith was found dead on 7 April 2017, aged 70. That one was so realistic that both Smith and Taylor suffered injuries during the filming of it. }); Actor William Smith, who was famous for starring in television shows like 'Hawaii Five-O' and 'Laredo', has died. pg.acq.push(function() { It has to be one of the longest two-man fights ever done on film without doubles.. And he played Detective James "Kimo" Carew in the final season of the original "Hawaii Five-O" on CBS in 1979 and 1980. Besides being highly educated, Smith was known for his build and physique, earning recognition for his action sequences in multiple films. William C. Watson Death: and Cause of Death On November 5, 1997, William C. Watsondied of non-communicable disease. Horror film legend Ricou Browning who 'played all the bad guys' and starred as Gill-man in Creature from the Black Lagoon dies aged 93 from natural causes. William Smith, the action star who tussled with Clint Eastwood in Any Which Way You Can, made a lasting impression as the evil Falconetti on TV miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man and was a regular. The scene was long but choreographed well. MALIBU, Calif. (AP) _ Brian Keith, the burly actor best known as Uncle Bill on the TV sitcom ``Family Affair, did not want to wait in a hospital for cancer to take his life. #RIP #WilliamSmith. It was the final season. Along with appearing in films, William Smith also made his mark in television. William Smith was an American actor, who played bikers, brawlers, cowboys, and no-nonsense tough guys in films and television shows including "Any Which Way You Can," "Laredo," "Rich Man, Poor Man" has died at the age 88 on Monday at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and he was hospital in Woodland Hills, his demise was confirmed by Whos the baddest of the movie badmen? Emmy-nominated actor Michael K. Williams, best known for his role on the Baltimore-based HBO series "The Wire," has died, a New York police spokesperson confirmed Monday. William Smith was in the Season 12 Classic HFO season 1979-1980. He left tinsel town for a bit when he enlisted in the Army to fight in the Korean War. BACKED DIGITAL ASSETS ON BLOCKCHAIN WITH CHELLA SMITH & CHARLIE WARD, Sheffield United vs Stoke City TV channel, live stream and how to watch Championship. Smith is also known for films like Any Which Way You Can (1980), Conan The Barbarian (1982), Rumble Fish (1983), and Red Dawn (1984), as well as lead roles in several exploitation films during the 1990s.[2]. They were still obviously drawn to one another, though, and got remarried a couple months later in August 1967.. In a Hollywood career spanning more than 75 years, he appeared in almost three hundred feature films and television productions in a wide variety of character roles, with his best known role being the menacing Anthony Falconetti in the 1970s television mini-series Rich Man, Poor Man. He could speak six languages which made him a valuable asset during his military service. "It has to be one of the longest two-man fights ever done on film without doubles," Smith said about the fight scene with Clint Eastwood in 'Any Which Way You Can'. In 1972 and 1975, respectively, he appeared in two popular Blaxploitation films, Hammer and the controversially titled Boss Nigger, both with Fred Williamson. He was also proprietor of Luana of Hawaii. He had been scheduled to appear in a touring production of Death of a Salesman, with opening night in Northampton only three days later. American actor William Smith, circa 1975. Hollywood mourned Oscar-winning actor William Hurt Sunday, after his death at 71. This is not the first time that an actor . }); Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Besides all of these skills and interests, Smith was a poet. His wife Joanne Cervelli Smith, who confirmed the news to THR, didn't reveal the cause for his death. Sieger) Family (3) Trade Mark (1) For movie fans, Smith is best remembered for his 70's biker movies, and TV-series. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! He also played Conan the Barbarians (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) father in the 1982 film Conan. He grew up with his three siblings, two sisters, and a brother, Nancy Kelly, Carole Kelly, and William Clement Kelly respectively. }) As a member of the US Air Force, Smith was a veteran of the Korean War; he acted as a Russian Intercept Interrogator and flew secret ferret missions. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Horror legend dead at 93: Ricou Browning was Creature From Black Lagoon, Vanessa Bryant awarded $29M in suit over Kobe helicopter crash photos, Sizemores family deciding end-of-life matters after brain aneurysm, Hayden Panettieres brothers cause of death revealed. The cause of the actor's death is unknown yet. Legal Statement. Smith is also known for films like Any Which Way You Can (1980), Conan The Barbarian (1982), Rumble Fish (1983), and Red Dawn (1984), as well as lead roles in several exploitation films during the 1970s. He played bareknuckle boxer Jack Wilson, who grappled with Clint Eastwood in an epic brawl in "Any Which Way You Can," one of the top-grossing movies of 1980. However, they divorced in May 1967. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. William Smith, the veteran actor best known for starring in the 1976 TV miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man and the original Hawaii Five-O has died. Security Squadron. ", Another tweeted, "Rest in Peace, William Smith. Not only was Smith an action star, but he was known as atough guy and appeared in two of the biggest brawls in movie history. Returning to California, Smith continued working steadily throughout the 60s and 70s, becoming an obvious choice when casting cult hit biker films such as Run, Angel, Run!, The Losers, Angels Die Hard, C.C. William Smith was born on March 24, 1933, in Columbia, Missouri, on a Hereford cattle ranch owned by his family. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' You can reach her at Melissa.Roberto@fox.com. 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